After the mayor and the city council resolves cats are useless and decides to drive all cats out of a city, Felix organizes his fellow felines to fight back.
"Felix Revolts" is a silent animated short film that has stood the test of time. The plot line feels like it mirrors the "social justice movements" that have been sweeping across western nations in recent years. It even captures the stupidity of extreme positions, with a "happy ending" that is the status quo that existed before the beginning of the cartoon is put in writing.
All that said, this cartoon is one of those that both adults and little kids can enjoy, perhaps even taking away different stories from what unfolds on the screen--but certainly taking away different lessons from the results. The best sequences are enjoyable no matter how old, mature, or immature the viewer is, and they all revolve around Felix organizing the cats, and, subsequently their normal enemies the rats, to squeeze the humans. My adult, logical mind couldn't help but wonder what a horrible place that city must be to live in--and how dumb the human population must be--but the kid in me is vastly amused by the protests Felix stages.
I might have given this a rating of Eight Stars if it had just been a couple minutes shorter. There's a sequence involving Felix sabotaging a seafood shop that is so nonsensical that it crosses the line from absurdism to just plain stupid. Since it was Felix's abuse at the hands of the fish-monger that triggered the events of the story, it makes sense that the character and his shop are among the targets the cats go after, but the way it's executed is just dumb. It's not funny, it's not dramatic... it just feels like time-filling nonsense.
Animation-wise, there's nothing particularly outstanding or bad about "Felix Revolts" in comparison to other films from the time, as well as other Felix films. It's cute and it gets the job done--although I could nitpick a couple points for what looks like excessive looping but they're funny so I can be forgiving.
"Felix Revolts" is one of ten early Felix the Cat cartoons contained on Alpha Video's "Felix the Cat: Early Cartoon Classics". The version featured was digitized from a copy held in the personal collection film historian and preservationist John Carpenter, and, although it's a little washed out, it's in far better shape that the ones you can find on YouTube (such as the one embedded below).
If you're not familiar with Felix's antics, and you enjoyed the sample above, I strongly recommend ordering yourself a copy of the Alpha Video collection. The price certainly is one that can't be beat, and your financial support will encourage the making of more such collections.
There's a new version of "Cinderella" debuting on Amazon Prime on September 3. To prepare, we're watching and reviewing some of the more obscure versions of the tale from yester-year. This time, it's an early effort from Walt Disney!
Cinderella (1922) Director: Walt Disney
Rating: Four of Ten Stars
It's a modern-day (well, modern-day in 1922), slightly wonky retelling of a classic fairy tale about the abused girl who gets the prince with the help of a magical Fairy Godmother.
This is a cartoon that's really hard for me to like. Maybe it's because this isn't 1922. Maybe it's because I'm an adult... but between our introduction to the supposedly charming prince involves him massacring a clan of dancing bears who were literally just partying at their cave, and badly thought-out scene where the Fairy Godmother makes Cinderella's "carriage" appear inside her house yet Cindy gets in it and drives away with no issue, I was almost completely turned off by this before it had even reached the halfway mark.
There are some very cute bits--almost everything involving Cinderella's talking cat sidekick, the portrayal of Cinder and Prince Charming's relationship, and a gag involving a duck near the end--and the way Cinderella reverts from an enchanted, high-fashion flapper girl to a down-trodden scullery maid is a cleverly and amusingly animated. These all add up to make this cartoon entertaining enough, but the opening sequence with the prince and bears--one that I have a hard time imagining anyone one but a psychopath finding that amusing--casts a shadow over everything that follows.
But perhaps I am reacting too strongly a bit of harmless fun. Why don't you take a few minutes to watch it and let us know what you think? If nothing else, "Cinderella" is worth checking out due to its historical significance: It's one of Walt Disney's earliest animated efforts... and I'm sure everyone will be able to appreciate that his output (and that of the army of animators he eventually had on the payroll to create the famous, feature-length remake of this short in 1950) was much, much better.
Click below... and watch the animated creatures go!
KoKo's Toot-Toot (aka"Toot-Toot") (1926, re-released 1950) Starring: Max Fleischer Director: Dave Fleischer
Rating: Six of Ten Stars
While traveling by train, the Animator (Fleischer) doodles in his sketch book. His drawings of KoKo the Clown and his pet dog come to life, and soon they are causing train-based havoc in both the animated and real worlds.
"KoKo's Toot-Toot" is another tale where animated characters escape their two-dimensional world to cause chaos in ours. It's not the best I've seen of this series--there are several sequences that go on for just long enough to stop being amusing--but it does have its high points. My favorite bit is where KoKo, after disassembling the sketch of a non-operational train and putting it back together again all wrong but now working, as well as much of the train-ride that follows.
A common weakness that all the Out of the Inkwell shorts seem to share is a lack of a satisfying close to the films. That is mostly the case here, too, but it is also so surrealistic that I can't help but give the filmmakers points for thinking big.
I've embedded the film below for your convenience and viewing pleasure. I believe the version I watched (and featured here) is the one that was aired on Australian television, with added sound effects and soundtrack. I felt the music got a bit tiresome as it looped through the same tune for the third or fourth time toward the end, but you're mileage and tolerance for such things may be higher than mine. I actually found myself wondering if someone has put this 'toon to "Crazy Train" by Ozzy Obourne--which in turn led to finding the "bonus" I've included at the bottom of the post. (Yes, it's two-for-one day here at Shades of Gray!)
And here's a bonus--Ozzy Osbourne's "Crazy Train" performed by cartoon characters!
False Vases (1929) Starring: Anonymous Voice Actors (although no sensible lines are spoken) Director: Otto Messmer Rating: Six of Ten Stars
After his wife's favorite vase is broken, Felix the Cat (who is fearful of her wrath) goes all the way to China to get a replacement.
If there ever was a text book example of doing something the hard way--even in a cartoon universe--than this is it... even if Felix cleverly tricks a dog into digging him a hole all the Earth so he can get to China. It's a cute execution of a joke that was probably old when this film was made.
And "cute" is the byword for everything in this cartoon, with a cartoonish surrealism dose. There's not much here that will make you go "wow", but it's a solid piece of fluffy entertainment without any spectacular highs but also without anything that's so bad it's worth calling out. I don't think it's "False Vases" age that makes me say that, I think audiences in 1929 would say the same thing: Whether you compare it to previous Felix the Cat cartoons, or to some of the other fare available around the same time, this Felix adventure is nice, but nothing spectacular.
From a purely personal standpoint, there are two minor factors that drag "False Vases" down. First, there's my basic dislike of Felix when he's causing chaos unprovoked and just generally being a trickster for no solid reason; we're given a little of that here, so my reaction to a few of the sequences are equal parts amusement and annoyance. Second, there's a strangely recurring gag/theme of Felix turning human beings into musical instruments and playing them. I suspect the bits are there because this was reportedly the first Felix cartoon was was made with sound in mind (instead of being retrofit with a soundtrack as many of them were), but a little less repetition would have been nice. (Some modern viewers might also gasp with outrage and horror and need some time on the fainting couch due to some of the character designs, but I think those would be in the tiny minority of people interested in old cartoons like this, of which an even tinier fraction would be looking at this blog. Personally, I see them as cartoon characters living in a cartoon version of China, and they are no more or less rediculous or offensive or insensitive than other human characters that appear in the various Felix cartoons. I feel a little silly even commenting on it, but it also feels like a necessity these days.)
"False Vases" is one of ten Felix the Cat cartoons included on the "Felix the Cat: Early Cartoon Classics" from Alpha Video. It's the latest collection curated by film preservationist and lecturer John Carpenter, and it's got some rarities on it you won't find easily elsewhere. Even if you do find them, they're not likely to be in as good condition, nor as complete, as the ones featured on this disc.
Take for example the version of "False Vases" that's available on YouTube (embedded below, so you can sample Felix if you want to) versus the one of the DVD. The latter has a much sharper picture.
But I recommend getting the Carpenter/Alpha Video's "Felix the Cat" collection. It's fun stuff as a VERY reasonable price!
Jest of Honor (1934) Starring: Anonymous Voice Actors (delivering two lines consisting of nonsense words) Director: Vernon Stallings
Rating: Seven of Ten Stars
The Little King inadvertently triggers an insurrection in a coastal town after getting busy with a mermaid.
"Jest of Honor" is seven-and-a-half-minutes of fast-moving nonsense. In fact, it will go by so fast that you'll be surprised that it's over. This is because this film, like many of "The Little King" series features animation that is among the best you'll find in any Van Beuren offering, and because there is not a moment where something that is visually interesting isn't happening on-screen--and there isn't a set-up that doesn't resolve itself into a well-timed visual gag.
Two of the most interesting points about this installment in this series is that although it consists of bits of action that are almost entirely nonsensical (from the Little King's introduction, though his interaction with fish and a mermaid, through a bizarre tickertape parade, and into the revolt during the climax) they all fit together to form a story that is more complete and coherent than what you'll find in most Van Beuren animation--with a beginning, a middle, an end, and even a denouement. The fact that the nonsense bits feed into each other and add up to a complete story is perhaps also one of the reasons the "Jest of Honor" flies by the way it does; there's nothing to take you out of the moment as you watch it. Secondly, the character designs continue to distinguish between the Little King and his servants and staff and the subjects of the kingdom. The subjects have few sharp angles, unlike the king and those at his court.
One other interesting bit of trivia in the character design department... the mermaids that the Van Beuren heroes Tom & Jerry came across a year earlier in "Rocketeers" were both more sensible in their outfits and even a little sexier than the one in "Jest of Honor". It doesn't really impact the overall cartoon, but it is the one point where a Tom & Jerry outing not animated by Jim Tyre beat "The Little King" series quality-wise.
But why don't you check out "Jest of Honor" and maybe let everyone know if you agree or disagree with my take on it? Just click below, sit back, and watch.
... we're going to bring you some black-and-white adaptations of that famous fairy tale (along with commentary). You may also treat these posts as a public service if you don't have access to Amazon Prime (where the new "Cinderella" will premiere on September 3), or if you want to be able to say you've seen "Cinderella", but don't want to sit through 90+ minutes of sap.
First up, we have TerryToon's adaptation of "Cinderella" from 1933. Drop down to the end of post and click to watch it. Although you can also read our thoughts on it first... and then maybe you can leave some thoughts of your own in the comments section below this post!
Cinderella (1933)
Starring: Anonymous Voice Actors
Director: Frank Moser
Rating: Six of Ten Stars
A hedonistic king throws a party while his stern queen is out of town. Cinderella's ugly stepsisters are invited while she has to stay at home... but she ends up at the festivities anyway.
To say this is a loose adaptation of the familiar "Cinderella" story is an understatement. It begins in familiar territory and then transforms into something completely different. The creators seem to kinda-sorta remember what they were doing every now and then--a "Cinderella" adaptation--but only momentarily.
After opening with one of most annoying songs you're likely to encounter, but very much on track to be a standard "Cinderella" tale, it then it goes spinning off in bizarre directions. Cinderella is almost a minor character in her own story, with most of the focus being on the lecherous king, his dippy son, and the drunken bash the king throws. Some of the expected elements show up, but they are strange and surreal distortions of what we'd typically expect.
Are you in the mood for something weird? Sit back and enjoy this wild ride, along with a king on his tricycle, a prince on his wooden horse, and Cinderella in her magic carriage.
An anarchist tries to assassinate the Little King by rigging a bomb to a grand piano, but the miniscule monarch and his pet dog turn the tables on the would-be killer.
In 1933, the Van Beuren Corporation licensed Otto Soglow's "The Little King" comic strip (and associated characters) for adaptation to animated shorts. The result was two "pilot" installments under the "Aesop's Fables" banner and 10 branded "Little King", all of which can be counted among the best items to ever come out of Van Beuren's animation department. The credit for this can largely be attributed to Jim Tyer, the lead animator on projects related to "The Little King"; he was reportedly firmly committed to never cutting corners or otherwise not produce the best possible product his talent and resources would allow. (And while his dedication to his art can easily be seen on "The Little King" series because he received screen credit, it is also evident in cartoons he worked on anonymously, such as some of the best Tom & Jerry cartoons, such as "Magic Mummy" and "The Tuba Tooter".
"The Fatal Note" was the first of ten "The Little King" episodes. While it's not exactly a faithful adaptation of the comic strip--while it gets the character designs right, the nature of the story and how it unfolds is far from what one would expect--it is seven minutes of non-stop action and humorous hijinx. The animation here is also among the best you'll find in a Van Beuren produciton, with detailed backgrounds, crowd scenes where almost each character has been given a unique characteristic, and very little looping of footage. (There's some of it during a series of fights up and down a staircase, but the foreground action is so varied that it's not noticeable unless you're the sort of jerk who watches cartoons in order to pick them apart for review fodder.).
Parts I'm sure you'll enjoy include the Little King frolicking and playing the piano with this dog, and the Little King's running battle with his would-be assassin (including the aforementioned action on the staircase). One thing I'm sure you wish you'd seen was the Queen somehow getting caught in the crossfire between the Little King and the assassin; she's an even greater villain than the murderous anarchist.
Why don't you take a few minutes to see if I'm right by clicking below and sitting back to enjoy yourself with some of the best the Van Beuren Corporation had to offer?
After a disagreement about how urgent it is to deal with a mouse in the studio, the Animator (Fleischer) draws a monstrous spider-creature to put Ko-Ko the Clown in his place.
"Trapped" is another fun mix of live action footage and animation, with the fourth wall disintegrating between our world and the animated one. As is often the case, Max the Animator and his creation, Ko-Ko, are at odds over something, but Max seems extra petty this time around. (Watching this one will make you appreciate Ko-Ko's actions better in "The Cartoon Factory".)
When I first watched this "Trapped", I thought Ko-Ko's actions were as badly motivated as the Animator's hostility toward him; Ko-Ko's desire to see that rodent dealt with seemed a bit much--even considering that they're smelly, disease-carrying animals--but then it occurred to me that the mouse was chewing on cardboard and paper, and that Ko-Ko's entire world exists on a foundation of paper. From Ko-Ko's point of view that mouse more than just an annoyance, but something that can literally destroy his world and possibly end his existence. This makes the Animator's reaction seem all the more mean-spirited.
Of course, I could also be overthinking the whole thing, and it's nothing more than the tale of a cartoon clown worrying about a rodent infestation while fighting for his life against a bowler hat-wearing giant spider. Why don't you give me YOUR take after clicking below and spending a few minutes watching some silent movie era cartoon weirdness?
Jolly Good Felons (1934) Starring; Anonymous Voice Actors (although there is only one real spoken line) Director: Vernon Stallings Rating: Six of Ten Stars
The Little King tours his nation's prison... and he inadvertently causes a riot and mass-escape.
"The Little King" was a popular comic strip by Otto Soglow that debuted in "New Yorker" magazine and was acquired for syndication by Kings Features in 1934. It ran in newspapers nationally and internationally until Soglow's death in 1974.
As Soglow was securing the syndication deal with Kings Features, the Van Beuren Company licensed the Little King and associated characters for use in animated short features. After a couple test runs under the "Aesop's Fables" banner, the King's solo feature was launched, under the watchful guidance of lead animator Jim Tyer who was determined to make "The Little King" films among the consistently highest quality productions to be released under the Van Beuren banner. Tyler was concerned both with staying true to the original comic strip, as well as having the animation being as good as possible.
"Jolly Good Felons" was made toward the end of the Van Beuren series, but Tyler's desire to produce cartoons of the highest quality is still very much the guiding principle here.
The animation is some of the best from the Van Beuren shop, and most of the character designs are in keeping with the original Little King strip. Similarly, a good chunk of the film also manages to capture the tone of the comics, with the Little King engaging in frivolous behavior and generally behaving more like a kid than an adult. Some sequences drag a little, but not fatally so, and they are cute enough to keep the viewer's interest. And once the Little King starts his tour of the prison, the pace picks up and keeps accelerating until the (literally) explosive finale.
One thing that did need a little more work was the story. Yes--I know this is a Van Beuren cartoon so I shouldn't expect much in that department, but a couple other "Little King" cartoons I've watched had excellent stories that had multiple plot points, as well as beginnings and middles and ends. Although this one is mostly a series of loosely connected gags, there's a sense that's going somewhere... until it seems to stop short of any real conclusion. "Jolly Good Felons" ends some 2-3 minutes before it should have, leaving every plot point it set up unresolved. It's unsatisfying, and it's below the bar set by other entries in this series. (I am also bothered by the way a Good Samaritan that helps the Little King after he is stranded on the side of the road is dismissed from the story when his role is over. I understand that it's a visually amusing and efficient way to get him off-stage--he is sent deep into the facility with a group of prisoners---but the bigger implications of those events trouble me. Yeah, I may be overthinking things here, but still...)
But why don't you take a few moments to watch "Jolly Good Felons" yourself? Despite stumbling at the end, it's pretty good, and I think it's worth your time. As is my habit when reviewing Van Beuren Corporation cartoons, I've embedded it in the post to make watching it as convenient as possible! (And if you feel so inclined, you can even tell me if I'm wrong to be irritated by the apparent fate of a guy who helped the Little King.)
Trip to Mars (1924) Starring: Max Fleischer Director: Dave Fleischer Rating: Seven of Ten Stars
Over Ko-Ko the Clown's objections, the animator (Fleischer) sticks him in a rocket and shoots it at the moon... but Ko-Ko ends up crashing on Mars instead. Ko-Ko has the last laugh, however, when the animator also ends up in space.
In "Trip to Mars", the Fleischer Brothers once again effectively show off their ability to convincingly make it appear as though animated character Ko-Ko the Clown has leaped from the cartoon universe and into this one. The interactions between him and the live-action Max Fleischer is particularly fun in this one--with the moments when Max picks Ko-Ko up by his collar and puts him inside the rocket that is intended to take Ko-Ko to the moon; and when Ko-Ko and Max are both riding in the "Mars Rover" as the film is careening toward its close.
As impressive as the mixture of live action and animation is in this film (especially when considering its age), it falters a bit when it comes to the story. I'm not sure how I would have ended a short film that features its stars being blasted all the way to Mars via cartoon explosives, but I like to think that if I put my mind to it, I could have come with something better than what we got here; it makes no sense. (And if you watch the film--which you can do, right here from this post--you may say "Miller... you're asking for THAT to make sense? They go to Mars, the run around on the rings of Jupiter, and you want an ending that makes sense?!" And yeah... I would want it to make sense in the context of a world where animated characters emerge from the ink well and interact with human beings, and then return to the ink well. When we get to the end of "Trip to Mars", the rules of that world seem to be violated in a major way. And with that said... I DO see a way that the ending works, but it breaks the fourth wall to a level that even *I* think is a bit much. Or maybe I missed something? Check out the 'toon below and let me know what YOU think of the ending.)
The weak ending aside. "Trip to Mars" is a bucket full of strangeness that's worth the few minutes it'll take to watch it. The purely animated sections where Ko-Ko deals with Martians and their civilization are also a great deal of fun... although I think he would have been happier if he'd run into some of the Martian princesses that are featured every now and then on this blog. Max certainly would have been.
Circus Capers (1930) Starring: Anonymous Singer and Voice Actor Directors: John Foster and Harry Bailey
Rating: Six of Ten Stars
A circus clown has his heart broken when he discovers that his bareback-riding girlfriend is also carrying on with the ringmaster (who tries to kill him).
"Circus Capers" was one of four or so short films presented under the "Aesop's Fables" banner that featured a pair of amorous mice who just happened to (purely by coincidence and not-at-all-intentionally [wink-wink, nudge-nudge]) look very much like Walt Disney's Mickey and Minnie characters.
While Milton and Rita (as the Van Beuren characters are named) looked like their more famous counterparts, they and their adventures were far raunchier: While I can imagine Mickey having a rival for Minnie's affections, I can't picture her being as slutty as Rita is in this cartoon. And the Walt Disney Company couldn't picture it either, and a successful lawsuit against Van Beuren eventually put an end to Milton and Rita's antics.
As for "Circus Capers" specifically, the plot is pretty much described in its entirety in the teaser summary at the top of this review. I could pad it out with punny double-entendres to describe the action and the characters, but I'll spare you that and instead just note that the strongest part of the cartoon is when the broken hearted Milton sings the at-the-time well-known song "Laugh Clown, Laugh"; it's actually one of the better renditions I've come across. The ending was also one that I appreciated very much, as I think Milton behaved exactly as he should when Rita tried to get him to her back. On the downside, the cartoon suffers from slip-shod animation that results in characters changing shapes and sizes for no reason other than poor quality control. It's a shame, because, with a little more effort this could have been quite good instead of merely average. (That said, I loved the supremely goofy lion-tamer bit; it takes an unexpected turn, and it make me laugh.)
But don't just take my word for how good or bad "Circus Capers" is. If you have ten minutes, you can watch it for yourself by clicking below..
Betty Boop and the Little King (1936) Starring: Jack Mercer (voice of the Little King and others) and Mae Questel (voice of Betty Boop) Directors: Dave Fleischer Rating: Six of Ten Stars
A fun-loving king sneaks out of an opera performance and out from under the iron fist of his queen to enjoy a vaudevillian rodeo performance by Betty Boop.
In 1933, producer Max Fleischer approached Kings Features Syndicate with a proposal to turn their Popeye the Sailor comic strip character into an animated character. The Syndicate was dubious, but Popeye proved to be a far bigger hit in animation than he ever was on the printed page. After the demise of the Van Beuren Corporation, which had licensed Kings Features strip "Little King" for use in animation (and had produced a dozen shorts starring him), Fleischer decided to see if he could replicate the success he'd seen with Popeye.
"Betty Boop and the Little King" was a back-door "pilot episode" for a potential "Little King" series, just like "Popeye the Sailor" had been in 1933, and it follows the same template as that previous effort: Betty Boop is relegated to supporting-character status in her own series, as the Little King encounters her performing, joins the act, and triggers additional events and complications.
Unfortunately, the attempt to launch "The Little King" to screen stardom fizzled on the ground. The reasons for this could be many, but obvious ones are plain to see as the cartoon unfolds. First of all, Betty Boop lost her edge when the Production Code made the Fleischers feel obligated to redirect her adventures from an adult audience toward children, so the sly humor and escalating violence of "Popeye the Sailor" is nowhere to be found here. Second, where both "Betty Boop and the Little King" and "Popeye the Sailor" were structured in a way that they introduced viewers who might not be familiar with the source material to the characters, only "Popeye the Sailor" put major effort into building some new, unique, and fresh for the animated version. In fact, the Fleischer cartoon unnecessarily violates a standard of "The Little King" comic strip when they have the King speak. In the strip, he NEVER speaks... and there was no reason for him to do so here, either. Thirdly, while the story is cute and the King is equal parts funny and sympathetic (just like his more proper Queen is equal parts funny and UNsympathetic since she is trying to keep him behaving in a way that is befitting his status), it's generally a low energy affair. The animation is nice--even impressive at a couple of points--but when compared to other Betty Boop cartoons, the gags are weak and prone to overstay their welcome and there's barely enough going on to keep viewers engaged.
"Betty Boop and the Little King" isn't a terrible cartoon... it's just a little too tame and genteel.
This was the only time Fleischer used the Little King in one of his productions. It was probably for the best, since I have a feeling that he was much better suited for the type of fare that the Van Beuren Corporation put out--and with that said, I will have to seek out and watch some of those to see if I'm right or wrong. If anything, I'm fairly certain that the King didn't speak in those shorts, because most of the Van Beuren cartoons were essentially silent movies with elaborate musical scores.
But just don't take my word for whether "Betty Boop and the Little King" is good or not. I've embedded it" below, you can can check it out yourself; it's only seven or so minutes long. If you disagree with my take, I'd love to hear from you in the comments section below.
In the Park (1933) Starring: Anonymous Voice Actor (although this is basically a silent movie) Directors: Frank Sherman and George Rufle Rating: Six of Ten Stars
Tom and Jerry's quiet afternoon in the park is disrupted by a bratty baby.
"In the Park" is another Tom & Jerry adventure that shows those in charge of this series weren't clear on who the target audience for this series was. We have a little mature humor at the beginning and end, framing a series of cute and mildly amusing antics by our heroes and the baby they find themselves suddenly taking care of. I suspect that if I were nine years old, I would find the various visual gags absolute screamers, but at well over five times that age, they just make me smile. It's not that the jokes are bad... they're just juvenile and not set up as effectively as they could be. All that said, the gags come in a steady, constant stream and none drag on past the point of being funny. Even if the baby is annoying.
(The adult in me--and possibly because I'm a 2020s adult instead of a 1930s adult--also kept thinking that our heroes were going to be arrested for kidnapping or for being perverts, since they just started playing with a random baby that showed up. There was also a brief twinge of "don't they see the baby carriage 20 feet their right", but then I decided I was REALLY overthinking things. Plus, the cute squirrels that Jerry was feeding were coming from the opposite direction, so they never really looked that way. [Yeah... still overthinking...])
As with many of the "Tom & Jerry" films, the music is excellent. It's not a mini-musical like some of them are, but rather a silent movie with a great score that's perfectly timed to what unfolds on screen. For all the inconsistencies that plagued this series vis-Ã -vis tone, possible target audiences, and animation- and story-quality, the musical scores were almost always of the highest quality.
Animation-wise, this is both one of the best AND worst in the Tom & Jerry series. In the positive column, the sequences involving the cute squirrels are well done and very cute. We are also treated to honest-to-god backgrounds throughout most of this episode, something the animators working on "Tom & Jerry" too-often didn't bother with. In the negative column, the characters are sloppily drawn, especially Tom. He literally changes shape more than once and for no reason, with his arms and legs sometimes getting longer or shorter even within the same sequence. Similarly, the obnoxious baby seems to be bigger or smaller from scene to scene. It's distracting, and it's incomprehensible as to why there wasn't a little more quality control going on... especially when the extra effort to draw backgrounds.
And speaking of that obnoxious baby... I wonder if the Van Beuren company wasn't testing out a possible headliner for another series. It's one of only two recurring characters in the series--aside from Tom & Jerry themselves--and it always had a major role. (The Bratty Baby can also be found in "Pots and Pans" and "Puzzled Pals". The other recurring, more minor character, was a horse that appeared in "Rabid Hunters", "In the Bag", and "Hook and Ladder Hokum".)
In balance, "In the Park" isn't a brilliant effort, but it's among the better "Tom & Jerry" installments. It's worth checking out if you have nothing better to do with the next few minutes. Just click below and sit back.
And with this, every installment in Van Beuren's Tom & Jerry series has been reviewed and can be watched here at Shades of Gray. Click here to see an index of all them, as well as easy links through which to check them out.
A Spanish Twist (1932) Starring: Anonymous Voice Actors
Directors: John Foster and George Stallings
Rating: Nine of Ten Stars
World-travelers Tom & Jerry find themselves in Spain where they dance the flamenco and are forced to become bullfighters after committing a cultural faux pas.
"A Spanish Twist" is one of several "Tom & Jerry" cartoons where our heroes are in a foreign land and interacting with the people who live there, such as "Jungle Jam" and "A Swiss Trick". It's not only the best example of these, but it's among the very best of all the "Tom & Jerry" episodes.
As is the case with all the really strong installments in this series, we're treated to some nice music and some kooky animation to go along with it. Here, Tom & Jerry are first entertained by a flamenco dancer, then join in the dance, and ultimately start engaging in the sort of physically impossible antics are are also common features of the strongest episodes of the series.
The real strength of "A Spanish Twist" is with its unpredictability. From the opening scene--where Tom & Jerry adrift at sea on a raft and come under attack by a slingshot-wielding octopus--through the flamenco routine and onto the bizarre bullfighting sequence, there is a steady stream of strange and unpredictable gags that keeps viewers engaged because it's impossible to know what's going to come next.
The only flaws with "A Spanish Twist" are also ones that are common to the "Tom & Jerry" series--even the best installments. There are times where the characters are running around on completely blank surfaces with empty backgrounds, and the animators really needed to have put in at least the minimal effort of a few lines here and there. Also, the bullfight sequence just sort of sputters to a close after a hilarious opening and a crazy middle section. (I suppose I shouldn't be surprised by the weak close, as the bullfight is also where the animators stopped doing scenery. This appears to be another example of a fun bunch of ideas that are not property attached to a story.)
Speaking of the bullfight, when Tom & Jerry emerged into the arena dressed as matadors, I was fully expecting to be irritated by what was going to follow and that whatever amusement I'd felt up to this point would be completely overridden. If there's one thing I find it hard to see humor in, it's animal cruelty--like what is so rampant in bullfights. However, the bullfight here is so ridiculous that I couldn't help but chuckle at it.
Although the climactic fight sequence just sort of fizzles, "A Spanish Twist" still manages to close on a high note with a denouement and final joke that may be lost on modern viewers but which was probably very funny to audiences in 1932: Tom & Jerry hear that Prohibition has been lifted in the U.S., so they rush right home for a drink! (This ending is also, in a backdoor kind of way, gives character and motivation to Tom & Jerry like almost no other moment in the series has... the pair were so desperate for a stiff drink that they went globetrotting because the U.S. went dry.)
As always with my reviews of "Tom & Jerry", you can check out the subject for yourself. Why don't you take a moment to enjoy yourself by clicking below?
And if you disagree with my take, please let the world know by leaving a comment to this post. Heck, you can even to that if you agree!
After the animation studio is closed for the night, Ko-Ko the Clown and his sidekick escape from an ink bottle to put on a variety show for local kittens.
"It's the Cats" is one of many short films from the Fleischer brothers that combines live action footage with animation that starred Ko-Ko the Clown. They were always framed with Ko-Ko emerging from an ink bottle and then eventually returning back to it. The series, and for a brief time the company that produced them, were known as Out of the Inkwell.
The typical "Out of the Inkwell" short had Ko-Ko bringing the laws of the animated world into the real one, often while interacting with his animator. Here, the only interaction between film and animation happens at the very end when Ko-Ko and his puppy assistant let mice loose for the kittens to chase as the grand finale to their show. Otherwise, all we get are shots of kittens looking at cartoon posters and sitting in chairs, supposedly watching the escaped animations performing on stage. (The kittens do cross over from the real world into the animated ones, as Ko-Ko's theatre--except for the seating--is entirely animated.)
"It's the Cats" is the most disappointing Max Fleischer cartoon from the 1920s/early 1930s that I've watched so far. It opens with a series of repetitive gags involving Ko-Ko putting up posters advertising his show to the kittens. It the proceeds with a series of so-so animated vaudeville style performances, one of which drags on for too entirely too long--a hi-dive act with some amusing visuals but that manages to overstay its welcome--and another very short bit that still manages to grow unfunny due to some looped animation. If I understand the timeline of Max Fleischer's business correctly, this cartoon was made as it was teetering on the brink of bankruptcy and had to be saved by an "angel investor" with whom neither Max or his brother Dave got along. The level of creative effort that went into making this one was probably not as high as the "Out of the Inkwell" installments the preceded it, so the overall outcome is a little lackluster. It's not bad exactly... it just pales in comparison to what came before, as well as much of what would follow in the early 1930s. (Oh... one nitpicky thing that bothered me were to toy cats used to fill chairs in the theatre. Did the Fleischers think the audience wouldn't notice?)
But you can watch "It's the Cats" below and form your own opinion--and I hope you'll share it if it's different than mine!
Trivia: There were two different versions of "It's the Cats" released. First, was a silent version in 1926. It was re-released the following year with a new title card (where the "savior" of Fleisher's operation got top billing) and synchronized music and sound. (Ko-Ko engages in some muttering that could charitably be described as spoken lines.)
Plane Dumb (1932) Starring: F.E. Miller and Aubrey Lyles
Directors: John Foster and George Rufle
Rating: Four of Ten Stars
While trying to circumnavigate the globe in a plane, Tom & Jerry (Miller and Lyles) crash in the ocean near Africa. Disguised as black people, they hope to blend in with the natives... with predictable results.
I've been putting off reviewing "Plane Dumb" for quite some time. I decided to post about all the "Tom & Jerry" cartoons here at Shades of Gray, partly because I wasn't clear on how I would accurately describe something that's both innovative and absolutely awful at the same time; it goes in a direction that no other entries in the series go... but it is also terribly stupid and inexplicably racist in so many ways that it must have even surprised many audience members even back in 1932.
It turns out that putting this one off was a Good Thing, because a little research and reading the excellent book by Hal Erickson about the Van Beuren productions gave me insight into how "Plane Dumb" came to be that softened by stance as a reviewer (but not necessarily as a viewer): The fact is that this cartoon didn't start out as "Tom & Jerry" cartoon goes a long way to explain a number of its flaws.
According to Erickson's book, and other sources, the Tom & Jerry cartoon we know as "Plane Dumb" actually began production as "All Wet". There is some speculation that it may have been intended as part of a series featuring animated versions of the popular African-American comedy team Miller & Lyles, but the project fell apart... most likely due to Aubrey Lyles' death shortly after voice work on "All Wet" is believed to have been completed. Not wanting effort (and money) to go to waste, Van Beuren seems to have had the existing footage and recorded dialog from Miller & Lyles combined with an ill-considered opening scene where Tom and Jerry transform themselves into two black guys.
Anyone who's seen more than one "Tom & Jerry" installment before this one--and who paid attention--will find their transformation baffling and annoying. Unlike what some commentators may lead you to believe, Tom & Jerry did actually have distinct personalities. Through all the ups and downs of inconsistent quality across the various installments, you could always count on Tom to be the more grounded and cautious (even cowardly on many occasions) of the two, while Jerry is an aggressive risk-taker whose actions often create more chaos than is good for anyone. In "Plane Dumb", however, their personalities have inexplicably changed--inexplicable until you learn that this tall and short duo were never intended to be Tom & Jerry. The personalities exhibited line up with the characters usually portrayed by Miller and Lyles, with the tall one being the aggressor and the short one being the reactor, so, given the fact these characters weren't originally Tom & Jerry. (Actually, what I am saying is not completely accurate; when it comes right down it, both Tom and Jerry are somewhat cowardly, but overall, their personalities are reversed when considered in the context of the overall series.)
Part of me wants to excuse the shift in personalities, because, back before I realized that this cartoon is a patchwork of fresh and recycled material, I thought it was something of an innovation for the series: Most "Tom & Jerry" cartoons might as well be silent films there is so little meaningful dialog--but here there are back-and-forth comedy routines, spoken jokes, and puns that tie into visual gags. It was an amazing departure for an entry in this series--which, of course, is because most of the material here didn't start out as a "Tom & Jerry" episode--but even apart from that, "Plane Dumb" is remarkable because of the nature of the dialog.
Few cartoons were driven by spoken exchanges in the early 1930s, so it was quite remarkable that Van Beuren teamed up with a pair of comedians known for their verbal back-and-forths for what COULD have been a bit of trail-blazing. The Miller & Lyles bits are interspersed among the usual surreal, visual nonsense consumers of Van Beuren cartoons would be accustomed to, but the main driver was the dialog.
Why Van Beuren's deal with Miller & Lyles fell apart remains unknown to me. I found a couple explanations, but nothing solid. One suggestion is that the pair were simply too busy and broke the contract, while another posited that they were unhappy with the quality Van Beuren's animators were producing, as well as the rate at which the pair was being paid. Either explanation seems plausible to me. At the end of it all, what we're left with is a cartoon that's equal parts awful and innovative... and one that has NOT aged well. The bits with Tom and Jerry stranded at sea and their battle with the creatures there is fun (even if the bit with the octopus is a bit of headscratcher), but it's mostly downhill from there... with rock-bottom being our heroes fleeing from hostile African natives who are literally spear-chuckers.
The Four Rating I'm assigning "Plane Dumb" is the lowest possible, and even that may be generous--and it's entirely because of the innovative nature of the use of dialog. It's interesting to consider if this cartoon had seemed as outrageously racist if whatever the original set-up that caused Miller & Lyles' fast-talking jokesters crash their plane in the ocean had been intact. Would it have seemed less racist?
"Plane Dumb" is the worst entry in the "Tom & Jerry" series. I can't recommend watching it, but I am embedding it below anyway, so you can form your own opinion. (And if it differs from mine, I hope you leave a comment to tell the world what it is.)
The Cartoon Factory (1924/1930) Starring: Max Fleischer Directors: Max Fleischer and Dave Fleischer Rating: Seven of Ten Stars
An animator (Fleischer) invents a way to automate the creation of cartoons. This, in turn, leads the animated character Koko the Clown to create a cartoon version of the animator.
"The Cartoon Factory" doesn't just break the fourth wall--it turns it to dust. Several times over. Not only does Ko-Ko the Clown know that he's a drawing--he's a drawing who understands drawings are just lines that can be put on paper or erased as the creator chooses. And that Ko-Ko can create and erase those lines. It's fascinating to watch Koko go about trying (intentionally or not) to corrupt the animated world he lives in by creating a version of the person who originally animated HIM... and then to watch this creation turn on him, because the creation can never fully become the creator and fiction can never fully escape into reality, nor can reality ever fully merge with fiction. (That's at least the message I took away from this... even if I may be overthinking things.)
I've mentioned before my fondness for cartoons and movies that break the fourth wall in other reviews on this blog, so I enjoyed "The Cartoon Factory" quite a bit. I've seen at least one commentator state that he felt the ending is a result of Fleischers not knowing how to bring the story to a close, but it seems to me that it's simply following the format of the series: Most (if not all) episodes open with Ko-Ko emerging from the animator's inkwell in some fashion, and then returning to it at the end.
But how about you take a look for yourself, and perhaps let me know your take on this fun fusion of live- and animated-action? You can watch it from this very post, and then use the comments section at the very bottom to sound off.
Trivia: The original version of "The Cartoon Factory" was first released into theaters on Feburary 21, 1924. It was one of roughly 130 silent "Out of the Inkwell" series, all of which combined some degree of live-action footage with animation. (The version embedded in this post, and that forms the basis for this review, was released in 1930 with the soundtrack added.)
Barnyard Bunk (1932) Starring: Anonymous Voice Actors (but there are no sensible lines of dialog)
Directors: John Forster and George Rufle
Rating: Six of Ten Stars
Tom & Jerry show that music not only soothes the savage beasts, but it also fixes the failing farm.
"Barnyard Bunk" is one of those Tom & Jerry cartoons that's just about plot free, but is just a series of strange visual gags strung together and connected by music. The music isn't bad--not great like it's been in some of the "Tom & Jerry" episodes, but it's pleasant enough.
The most interesting, as well as mystifying thing about "Barnyard Bunk" are the villainous mice that are actively demolishing the farm as the cartoon starts and who later appear to be the only animals who aren't impacted by Tom & Jerry's magic saxophones. While all the other animals either become the best farm animals they can be, or, in the case of woodpeckers, start pitching in with random chores around the farm just because they can, the mice continue their mischievous, destructive ways unabated. Maybe the Pied Piper had been through recently and all the weak-willed mice followed him and all that remained were the super-evil, super-destructive ones? Or maybe I should stop trying to apply story logic to what is just a bunch of loosely connected gags--just a bunch of barnyard bunk?
As "Tom & Jerry" fare goes, "Barnyard Bunk" is neither among the worst of their excursions, nor is it among their best. As mentioned, the music is passable. The jokes are also consistently amusing. The surreal bits are okay. The problem is that it all feels directionless. In the best Tom & Jerry cartoons, the gags and the action build to a climax of some sort, and you can feel that build taking place, even in plot-free exercises in chaos like "Pencil Mania" there's a sense of momentum that builds straight up to the cartoon's finale. You never get that feeling from "Barnyard Bunk" and it suffers for it.
As always with my comments on "Tom & Jerry", I invite you to check out the subject of review for yourself, right here from the post. I also invite you to leave your own comments in the section below. Let me (and the world) know if you think I'm right or wrong in my estimation while sharing your opinion with us!
If there ever was a cartoon that needed a better musical score, it's "Krazy Kat Goes A-Wooing". I would love to hear what Krazy Kat is playing on his banjo or even hear what it sounds like when he or she (I have no idea what sex Krazy is, even after all these years) sings. I know this was originally a silent film, but it really needs someone to put together a score that more accurately reflects what's happening on the screen. (All versions I've come across feature piano music, and, with the exception of the one hosted by the Library of Congress--which I've embedded below via YouTube--they all seem to be randomly selected pieces. A score using a banjo, a mouth harp, or maybe just a person humming through an electric fan would be far better, especially if created specifically for this.)
If you've read and enjoyed any of George Herriman's "Krazy Kat" comic strips, I think you'll like this animated trip to the "heppy land that is fur, fur away". Unlike later Krazy Kat animated entries--of which there were well over 250 between the years of 1915 and 1947--this one is close to Herriman's strips in feel and look and overall execution. The odd, yet very cool (or maybe kool) flying car that Krazy Kat travels around in not something I remember seeing before. It's the perfect addition to the animated version, however.
Stone Age Stunts (1930) Starring: Anonymous Voice Actors (but this is basically a silent movie) Director: John Foster and Mannie Davis Rating: Four of Ten Stars
Pre-historic mice (who are basically Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse clones) go dancing at a club, get into a fight with a bully, and end up literally bringing the house down.
An entry in the long-running Aesop's Fables anthology series, "Stone Age Stunts" is seven minutes of crudely animated nonsense. Along the way, there are some scenes that will make you squirm if you have any sensitivity to the issues surrounding domestic violence. (There are riffs on the old cartoon caveman hitting his mate over the head with his club and dragging her off, but they are taken to uncomfortable extremes here.)
The saving grace (and only thing that makes watching this worthwhile) is the music. The animation and the music go perfectly together, and the only humorous that aren't uncomfortable to watch, grotesque, or inexplicably weird (or some combination of all three) are those involving music. The cavemouse suddenly being able to use his club as a flute is amusing, and the sequence that starts at roughly the halfway mark with a band of cartoon animals using other cartoon animals as instruments and a hilarious nightclub act make sitting through the more unpleasant bits worthwhile.
As I always try to do with the Van Beuren productions I review, you can watch it for yourself, right here in this post, and see if you think I'm right or wrong in my estimation of this one. Just click on the video below.
(Trivia: Although the amorous mice who are the stars of "Stone Age Stunts" had been appearing in Aesop's Fables episodes since the early 1920s, their appearances changed to be similar to that of Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse once those characters became hits for Disney. Eventually, the Walt Disney Company filed suit against the Van Beuren Corporation. Disney didn't see damages--they just wanted Van Beuren to stop putting Mickey and Minnie look-alikes in crude situations in crudely animated cartoons.)
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